Dates of Discovery
by Chris4Short
Summary: Sam and Daniel have discovered some dates they want to remember... but will they be able to tell each other what they are?
1. the first date

Originally written 10/1/04

Typed 3/17/05

* * *

He did not really know when he started to see her differently, it just happened.

The laugh was sweeter, her smile more contagious. When he heard her voice, he paused to drink in the way it made him feel. When she brushed by, the point of contact burned sweetly.

The moment his eyes met hers, sparks flew. He could stare into the blue eyes forever – about the same about of time he could translate ancient languages. She spoke about the passion se held for things with her eyes.

The dedication to her job matched his. The way she spoke about the wormhole, the new technologies, it was looking into a mirror.

Yet he could not point to the calendar and say he knew it changed on such-and-such. Did it really matter? Did it change her? No and yes. Even with all his insight into humans, he did not know what he was to do with the new found… what was it? Certainly he loved her like family, he cared for her deeply, but was it really going beyond?

Sighing, he closed the book on his desk. Glancing up at his laptop, he caught his screensaver rolling over to his favorite picture.

She was in blue jeans and a pale green top; she had a plate of cheese and crackers. She was trying to stop him from taking the photo while desperately tying not to laugh at Jack, who was telling tales. Her head was cocked, making her smile wide and her hair flow over her eyes.

Taking a red pen, he circled the date.

The date Daniel figured out he was in love with Samantha Carter.


	2. the other date

4/12/05

* * *

His eyes was what made her give him the small, second glances. They reflected everything. Every emotion, every thought, worry, fear and love. She liked seeing love shining in them.

The wonder of everything around him was as if he had never seen such things, even the simplest of objects caught a curious glance. And when he would throw that glance at her… something happened. Her heart fluttered, her breathing louder. The first time she seriously wanted to go to the doctor and make sure she was ok.

The way he would trace the artifact lightly, the way his eyes would become distant and thoughtful, the way he would try to mouth the words as he traced them.

She loved watching the way he talked about objects and absorbed his intensity. It was like hers when she was not reined in and told to calm down. They were like wild horse when they would be together thinking a project through, discussing something they both were passionate about.

And now he stood before her, talking to the others in the room, leaving her to simply watch. Watch as his enthusiasm grew as the others tried to look on and track his leaping logic. She found she followed quite easily. And it did not have much to do with the fact he was taking the steps slowly, in case the others wanted to follow.

He was in his regulation blue pants and black short sleeve shirt, his jacket draped over on of the chairs. He stood slightly with his back to her, concentrating on the others. He took off his glasses now and pinched his nose, forcing the tension and frustration to leave.

And as his eyes met hers, Sam gasped internally as she say how handsome Daniel Jackson was, and how much she loved him.


	3. the problem

NEW - Yes, it took me 4 months to start the third chapter, and almost 6 months to complete it... are you going to complain about all the fic I wrote in the mean time? ;-D

Well here is our science twins, and they have a small problem - an experiment neigher seems to be able to finish. What does one do?

- Enjoy!

* * *

She was sitting at the table, pushing the mashed potatoes around. He momentarily stopped at the entrance and watched. She seemed so distant, and lost in her thoughts. Grabbing the tray he made his way through the line, keeping his eyes on the empty seat next to her.

At the desserts he hesitated, finally picking a triple chocolate pie and a blue jell-o; she would want one or the other. If dire straits were in order, she could have both. Sliding the tray off the rack, he smiled at the servers replacing the missing desserts and walked to where she sat hunched over.

"Hello," he said quietly. It looked like she was writing, and did not want to startle her. He knew that she was always engrossed in her work, like he was. It was a habit he seemed to work to his advantage at times.

"Hello," Sam replied, looking up at him. He slid next to her, amazed how her blue eyes never wavered from his. She looked at him and back to the pad of paper before her. "I was just thinking."

Daniel smiled gently. "As Jack would say, I would be surprised if you were not."

Sam matched his smile. "Ya that's me. Never stop."

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing."

"It is when it keeps you up all night."

Daniel paused as he took the contents off his tray. "Oh?"

"Yup, me and my active brain roaming the halls. I'm the present ghost that is haunting the SGC late, late at night," Sam said pushing the mashed potatoes again.

"Ah, well then I guess I am the ghost of the past," Daniel said, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he looked at Sam from behind his glasses. She was in thought once more, swirling the potatoes with the left over green beans. "Want to share?"

She looked up for a moment, once more making Daniel pause as he supped his coffee. They were so beautiful, so vast. He really could just dive in and lose himself. "It's just a recent discovery that I am struggling with."

"Hard to process data?" he supplied.

"Something like that," Sam said, giving a small sigh. "I'm not sure if the data matches what I am seeing."

"Oh a researchers worst nightmare. No wonder you are up all night," Daniel joked lightly. He was rewarded with a small smile, a smile that lit up her whole face.

"Something likes that." She fell silent once more. "I just don't know how to approach it. And I know, direct is usually the best, but I am afraid… it could skew the results. Or make my discovery seem less eye opening. I don't know; I'm just really confused."

"Well," Daniel started as he put his fork down. He could relate; he's final admitted to himself that he had fallen for the blonde, blue-eyed scientist, his best friend and teammate, had also thrown a kink in parts of his mind. He could not fully relax with out thinking how amazing she made him feel, how deep his love ran for her. "If it makes you feel better, I have been having some trouble myself."

"Soft data that won't compute?" Sam offered.

"Something like that." He dropped his eyes to his plate, not wanting to think of all the implications of that statement.

"So what do scientist do when we hit walls?" Sam said, abandoning the mashed potatoes. She eyed the cookie that sat beside her coffee and finally began picking at it.

"We go back to the drawing board. We re-analyze the data, come up with new hypotheses."

"But my data is not hard evidence, not in the physical way at least. I just…." She popped a crumb in her mouth. "I am just really attached to this one idea, but really have no clue how to go about validating it. It is driving me bonkers."

Daniel caught her glance and held it for a moment. "Hey let's stop mutilating our food and see if we can help each other. It sounds like we have a similar scientific problem we are facing."

Sam propped her head up and broke off another chocolate chunk from the cookie. "It does doesn't it? Okay, let's go."

They cleared the table and was soon heading out of the commissary, heading to the surface to walk around. As they walked past the guards, the two scientists were thinking about their separate problems, which, in reality, were one.

* * *

Ah before you berade me for stopping - again - be calm, cool, collected and know I was on a roll when I finished this chapter - meaning... more will come!

And always, R&R is nice, and fully appriciated!


	4. the last date and epilogue

Sam drove in silence to a nearby park down the mountain. As the ground slopped down, so did her thoughts. What was she doing? She was talking about her feelings in terms of 'experiment' and 'data.' The scientist in her screamed in protest, but the woman, the sometimes more rational part, agreed they were safe words and definitions. It raked her nerves that Daniel did not say anything as they drove. 

"Care for a stroll?" Sam asked as she parked.

"Fresh air, new surroundings, great company. I can't ask for anything more," Daniel said, sliding out. Sam smiled as she closed her door, wondering if that was the answer to her problem.

"So, what's difficult about this for you?" Sam started, plunging her hands and keys into the pockets of the jacket she wore.

"Well, for starters, the whole thing came on really suddenly," Daniel started. He was about to continue when he closed his mouth. Looking at Daniel, Sam made an expression for him to continue. They had come down to a part of the path where it was partially shaded, and Daniel stopped. "I can't walk around. I can't be talking to you about this."

Shocked, Sam scrunched her eyebrows together as she took Daniel in. He was looking around, calmly, not like a caged animal, but it still perplexed Sam. "You suggested it," Sam said at last.

Daniel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, and I am glad; that's not the problem. The problem is… the 'problem'." Sam gazed a moment longer at him, his blue eyes lighting up as the branches let more sun into their parch of shade. It reflected off his glasses, and Sam fought the urge to step over and take the glasses away from him. "It's all about dates," he muttered.

"Daniel, you will have to be less cryptic. I am not following," Sam said, aware that she sounded like Jack when Daniel took off on his own tangents.

"It's about honesty, Sam. I… want to…. This problem is big, and like you, I don't know if I can walk away from the underlying data."

Sam looked away. She was tired of sorting everything out. It was obvious that Daniel was uncomfortable and tired of sorting out his problem as well. "Honest. Ok. Honesty…" Sam started; bring her eyes back to his. "I found something that could change this," she made a sweeping motion in the distance between them. "Change us."

Worry seemed to taint Daniel's eyes for a moment. "Oh?"

"I can't just look at you as a friend. My data… holy Hannah I can't believe I am actually talking about this…"

"You have not said anything, Sam." Daniel stepped closer. "Are you saying that you found something in my past that makes you uncomfortable?"

Sam looked up at him sharply. "No. No, I never looked into your past. It's very, well, it's a recent discovery. Kind of what you said, it's all about dates."

"Sam, I don't think this is helping our problems," Daniel said gently. "What is it?"

She steadied herself once more. How do you tell your best friend that, during one briefing, you suddenly opened your eyes to how beyond 'best friends' your feelings had gone? How did you tell the man you watch grieve for his wife – twice – that you wanted to be with him, in every kind of way?

"Daniel, if I can't trust you with this, then all my problems, all my data, all the late nights have been a waste. I… see you. I mean I really see you. It's not that I don't see you everyday, but I have not let myself actually see you like you are." Sam paused and took a deep breath, the gentle scent of lavender soothing. "I finally let myself notice how amazing you are, how handsome – no really 'sexy ' is the right word, if I am being honest. And this is all about honestly, so …. I am carrying on a conversation by myself…" Sam mused in almost a whisper. Lifting her eyes, she gazed into Daniel's face. "Daniel, the data says I love you. What I need to finish the experiment is your data."

Daniel looked at Sam. Slowly the silly grin that he always felt around Sam came full force on his lips. He cupped her cheek, relishing the burning sensation on his palm. "I see we have been working on the same problem. My data has come to the same conclusion. Sam, I love you too."

Before she could utter anything, before the full impact of his words settled into her mind, his lips settled on hers. It burned her lips and she slid her arms around his waist, closing her eyes and kissed him back. The stood under the tree for what seemed like eternity savoring the heat that each of them caused upon each other's skin, each glad for their separate dates of discovery.

* * *

Epilogue:  
Sam hurried down the hall, stopping to pick-up one final stuffed animal on the way to the door.

"Sam, they will have stuff there. Besides, I think you will be a bit distracted," Daniel said, peering up at her from the floor. He finished folding a pair of pants and zipped the bag, slinging it on his shoulder as he rose. "I'll be there, and I'm sure the others will have no problem running back here to pick something up."

He placed an arm around Sam and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry, I guess the whole 'nesting' thing can get a bit… much." She smiled at Daniel and brought her hand up to caress his cheek. "Ready?"

Daniel looked deep into the blue eyes he drowned in so often and nodded. With one hand around her waist, he adjusted the strap with the other and brought it to the protruding belly of his wife. "I have had this date marked on my calendar longer then you know."

Hand in hand the couple walked to the car, ready to drive to the hospital and eager to see the results of their latest experiment.   



End file.
